Key Takeaways:
- Five people missing: Two women and three men from a sheepfold in Ungiling, Chumchet
- 47 people rescued: Nepal Army helicopters have evacuated people from affected areas
- Bridges and homes damaged: Floodwaters swept away several bridges and houses and damaged power and telecommunications infrastructure
- 437 security personnel deployed: Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force teams are involved in response operations
KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 11
Five people remain missing and 47 have been rescued after a landslide blocked the Budhi Gandaki River in Gorkha district, triggering a large flood carrying mud and debris that swept away bridges, houses and infrastructure, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).
In a press note issued on Sunday, the authority said the landslide occurred between Lokpa and Chumling in Chumnubri Rural Municipality-6. The missing people-two women and three men-were staying at a sheepfold in Ungiling, Chumchet, in the same rural municipality.
The Nepal Army has deployed four helicopters for search and rescue, evacuating 47 people from the affected areas to safety. A total of 437 security personnel-127 from the Nepal Army, including three Special Force units, 133 from Nepal Police and 177 from the Armed Police Force-have been mobilised, the NDRRMA said. Another 50-member Nepal Police team is on standby.
The flood has swept away the old suspension bridge connecting Nyakchet with Sirdibas in Chumnubri-3, along with one house, while floodwater entered another house in the area.
In Dharche Rural Municipality, a suspension bridge connecting Machhikhola with Kerauja was swept away. Seven to eight houses at and around the under-construction site of Times Urja Pvt Ltd in Salleri, Ward 3, were also washed away, according to the authority.
At Naya Pul in Arughat Rural Municipality-9, the flood damaged the bridge connecting Gorkha with Dhading, washing away the section on the Gorkha side of the three-part structure. A bridge at Soti connecting wards 2 and 3 of Arughat Rural Municipality was also swept away.
Floodwater entered the lower settlement of Machhikhola, leaving 20 to 22 houses at risk. The flood also swept away the main camp area and some construction equipment of the 341-megawatt Budhi Gandaki hydropower project. Two telephone towers and 50 electricity poles were damaged.
The authority said 25 police personnel from the Area Police Office in Arughat were immediately deployed to alert riverside residents and move them to safer locations. Twelve employees of Times Urja in Salleri were also evacuated.
Early-warning messages were sent to residents from Gorkha and Dhading to Benighat in Chitwan after the flood alert reached the Hydrology and Water Resources Research Centre's Flood Forecasting Division at 6 am. The NDRRMA also sent SMS alerts to 221 emergency responders across Gorkha, Dhading, Tanahun, Chitwan and both East and West Nawalparasi, as well as at the central level.
The authority's monsoon response command post has been holding continuous meetings since around 6:30 am to monitor the flood, assess conditions and coordinate response measures. Essential relief supplies have been transported by road and helicopter.
A three-member team, including drone operators and geologists, has been deployed to investigate the cause of the incident. Teams from the Department of Roads and the Department of Local Infrastructure Development are assessing road access and the feasibility of installing Bailey bridges.
Emergency medical response teams in Gorkha, Lamjung and Tanahun have also been placed on standby.
The NDRRMA has urged residents along the Budhi Gandaki River to remain in safe locations through Sunday evening, avoid risky bridges and roads, and follow instructions from local authorities and security agencies.